Playground for the Orphanage

Artemovsk, 3/08 - 18/08. 2002

In Autumn 2002 Artemovsk Orphanage for infants celebrated its 75 anniversary. More than 75 children up to 4 years old have found a new home here. The orphanage is located in one of the oldest buildings of Artemovsk, where originally lived a family of a dentist. For a family the house and backyard were big enough, but for the kids and more than 100 staff members caring for them this space was not enough for playing, eating, sleeping, learning and doing thousands of other things. Artemovsk Municipality has provided the orphanage additional territory, but no money to build something there. "MAMA-86" Artemovsk and ECC "Bakhmat", director of the orphanage Lidia Dubovik and volunteers of SVIT managed to change the abandoned and covered with jungles of grass area into something special. Using first of all our hands, energy and imagination, natural stones and wood, some paint and cement.

It all started in early August. Nine participants from Belgium, Japan, Germany, USA and two Ukrainian campleaders meet in Artemovsk to spend two summer weeks together.

One Day from the Life of the Volunteer

We started with calculation of mosquito bites on our hands and noses. Coffee and sandwiches with eternal international apple jam saved from despair and made us ready for work. Cutting grass, digging trenches for paths, building sandboxes and boat, repairing fence, repairing rooms for rehabilitation center at the orphanage… All this kept us busy at daily time. Little breaks during the work hours, playing with kids and enjoying cookies. Lunch was served at the orphanage, then we worked for another hour. Or more, till the cement was over :-)

Then waiting in the queue for shower. Our shower deserves special attention - broken pipe at waist level, the option is to knee or to take a bucket. If there was water…

Evenings were spent visiting local NGOs, museum, watching videos, celebrating birthday, trying Ukrainian bier in street cafes, learning about each other's countries and cultures, playing games. We tried Japanese food and learned some Japanese, argued about Belgian and German bier (no intercultural conflicts!:-), built civilization chain using animal languages, compared our names written in Japanese and Cyrillic characters. Till it was dark and we were ready to become mosquito victims for one more night.

Some Special Memories

There were many special moments, good and bad. Extremely unusual living conditions in the dormitory, where we tried to escape from as much as possible. Wonder electrical stove where we managed to cook our meals. Bus blocked by sand on the beach - night exercise for our strong men. Weekend spent traveling around the region, night at the seaside with Bakhmat people and visit to the burned Ukrainian Steppe Reserve "Kamenny Mogily". Excursion through the orphanage, with explanation of all the details from the life of the children. Concert organized by the little dancers and singers at the last day of the camp, and feast prepared by orphanage staff. Cloud-burst in one of the last days - finally we had enough water for shower, and no need to knee. Japanese Paparazzi taking pictures of everyone and everything, and much more. Every participant has taken his or her own special memories back home.